A Walk to Atoka
by Happiness47
Summary: An unexpected turn of affairs causes Mr. Darcy to leave Rosings not with a refusal, but with a wife.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: **

Elizabeth Bennet walked into Charlotte's breakfast parlor, bonnet and gloves in hand.

"Going for your customary walk around the park, Lizzy?" Mrs. Collins remarked.

Elizabeth smiled at her friend.

"I am going for a walk, Charlotte, but not merely around the park. I thought that I would go up to that village, Atoka, which everyone around here often talks about. I understand that the scenery up there is delightful." Miss Bennet failed to mention that after three consecutive days of meeting Mr. Darcy in the groves of Rosings Park, she was determined to prevent it from happening a fourth time.

Charlotte's face reflected surprise, and concern.

"Lizzy, I do not mean to interfere with your plans, but perhaps it is not wise for you to go to Atoka alone. That village has always been a bit peculiar, and their laws in particular are much more stringent than anywhere else I have ever heard of. Why, do you know that last spring Lady Catherine drove through their main street in her carriage, and the town constable fined her for driving too quickly? She was quite put out and declares she will never visit again. It would be wiser, Lizzy, if you were to go with someone more experienced with the customs of the place. Even I do not claim to know them all."

Elizabeth laughed.

"Now _that_ is bound to be a sensible and courageous town! That settles it; I must see it. Do not worry about me, Charlotte. Although I know that I have a scandalous tendency to run about the countryside, I promise to walk very slowly through Atoka's streets!"

Still laughing gaily, Elizabeth left the parsonage and directed her footsteps in the direction of the queer little village.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **

Two hours later, Elizabeth found herself standing in Atoka, gazing at the magnificent landscape which lay below her feet. Its beauty had not been exaggerated, and she was so grateful that she had the opportunity to view it in the spring, when all the apple trees and wildflowers were blossoming abundantly.

At length, she tired of beholding the scene and directed her attention to the village itself. Wandering down the infamous main street, she observed that it was a quaint little place, with old stone buildings and dwellings, many of which were covered in ivy. She smiled to herself, pleased that she had followed her own counsel and dared to see it.

It was not a long road, and soon it tapered off, leading ultimately to a little woody, park-like area. Curious to see what lay beyond it, Elizabeth walked forward through the trees. Her progress was suddenly halted when she realized that another person had preceded her there, and was sitting on the grass, his back against a sturdy, large chestnut tree. The man in question had been balancing a wooden tablet and sheets of paper upon his knee, writing. But the sound of her footsteps and of her gown rustling against the grass had captured his attention, and he had looked up. He stared at her for an instant, startled, before exclaiming,

"Miss Bennet!"

"Mr. Darcy," she replied coldly. How on earth had she managed to meet the very man whom she sought to avoid by coming to Atoka?

"What a pleasant surprise to see you here," the gentleman continued, as he folded up the letter he had been writing, pressed the Darcy crest onto it, and put it in his breast pocket before gathering up his tablet and other papers.

"It is a surprise to me too, sir. I had no idea that you were fond of Atoka," Elizabeth returned shortly, preparing to walk a past him. To her dismay, he got up from the ground, reached for his hat, and joined her.

"It does remind me a little of Lambton, which is very near Pemberley. That chestnut tree there, for instance, is almost identical to the fine one which stands on Lambton's green, near the smithy."

Elizabeth might have remarked that her Aunt Gardiner grew up in Lambton, but she was in no mood to continue the conversation. Thus, she nodded, and hoping to leave his undesirable company as soon as possible, abandoned her idea of going further into the wood. Instead, she turned on her heel and stalked towards the street once more.

"Are you turning back, Miss Bennet?" Mr. Darcy asked, walking behind her and keeping up with her fiery pace.

"As you see," she said, quickening her pace even more.

Her tone did not turn him off. Instead, he simply stepped up to her side and continued accompanying her in silence, while she fumed. Why did this man always insist on being so contrary and disagreeable?

They travelled thus for several minutes. Around the middle of the length of the street, Elizabeth noticed a group of respectable looking men standing and talking. While her attention was absorbed in nodding politely to them, she forgot to step carefully and allowed her foot to slip into a large crevice in the road. Losing her balance, she would have fallen if Mr. Darcy had not grasped her arm and steadied her.

"Thank you, sir," she said through gritted teeth, furious that she had allowed herself a near-tumble in the presence of the ever-fault-seeking gentleman.

"My honor, madam," he replied, much more kindly, releasing her arm.

The incident would have been soon forgotten by both if they had not heard a good-humored laugh directed at them immediately afterwards. One of the men who was standing near them laughingly said to Mr. Darcy,

"Despite the fact that we have not been introduced, sir, I must congratulate you on your fine reflexes. Your wife is a lucky woman to have such an athletic husband to catch her when necessary."

Before Mr. Darcy could answer, Elizabeth, who was bursting with anger at being presumed his wife, snapped,

"We are not married."

Suddenly, the citizens of Atoka, who until now had been filled with jesting and good-humor, became quite serious. Elizabeth, displeasure still clouding her mind, did not notice that Mr. Darcy, who was far more experienced with the village, had taken a sharp breath and looked a bit anxious at her accidental piece of information.

One of the men, who had the appearance of a merchant, leaned a bit closer to the couple.

"Is he your brother, then?" he asked in too quiet a tone.

"No," Elizabeth said, with an arch look of her eyes. "He is a slight acquaintance of mine. Good day."

"Just a moment, madam," the merchant pursued. "If he is only an acquaintance to you, then where is your chaperone?"

"We do not have one," Elizabeth returned. "We met accidentally in the wood, and were not planning to be alone in each other's company. Thank you for your concern, but I am quite alright. Good day."

An elderly man stepped forward, took her hand, and halted her.

"Wait, milady. This is a serious case, and it cannot be brushed off like you wish to do. You are both unmarried, is that correct?" he asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth replied, becoming puzzled at all the attention surrounding the everyday circumstance.

The men looked at each other, then at Mr. Darcy, who wore a strange, slightly worried countenance.

"You, unlike the lady, seem to have some sort of idea about the consequences of your offense, young man," the merchant said. "Well, I suppose that you are ready to lead her to the altar?"

"What?" Elizabeth gasped, uncomprehending the peculiar question.

"Young lady," another of the men, Atoka's magistrate, replied, "in Atoka, we have laws governing such matters. If two unmarried people are in each other's company without a chaperone, they must marry immediately."

"And if the parties refuse?"

"Then they will be detained in Atoka until they comply."

Elizabeth stared at the magistrate in disbelief, and finally looked at Mr. Darcy.

"Do you suppose that this is all a jest?" she asked, trying to make light of the situation.

Mr. Darcy gazed at her with a slightly sad smile.

"Unfortunately, no, Miss Bennet. Atoka, an ancient town, enjoys a unique privilege of establishing their own laws, separate from the laws which govern the rest of England. Visitors are naturally expected to abide by them. I must apologize, Miss Bennet; I should not have joined your walk, seeing that you were unaccompanied."

"You have nothing to apologize for, sir," the magistrate put in. "She would not have fared much better if we had seen her, a single young lady, walking about without an escort. The consequences in that case are even more stringent. Milady, I realize that this is an unfortunate circumstance, but ignorance of the law is no defense."

"Miss Bennet," Mr. Darcy interjected, forcefully, looking straight at her, "will you do me the honor of accepting my hand?"

Elizabeth still gaped at him, wondering if it would be possible to awaken from this nightmare.

"I am sure that is not necessary, Mr. Darcy. There must be some mistake! Someone, somewhere, must be able to make an exception. After all, we have been walking together for less than ten minutes!"

The magistrate shook his head.

"Madam, I have been the magistrate in Atoka for thirty years, and I assure you that an exception or reprieve has never been given in such a case. Indeed, our standards are not so different from the rest of England, when all is said and done, Miss Bennet. If you were to be alone in a gentleman's company elsewhere, you would be considered compromised; here, we simply remedy the situation at once rather than giving society the opportunity to damage your reputation and that of your family with its gossip. Now, the church is in this direction. Come along, young lady."

"We cannot marry today!" Elizabeth exclaimed as they led her towards the said edifice, the magistrate's hand on her arm. "We must have the banns read, and my family be sent for…" she reasoned, striving for delay.

"As aforesaid, I am the magistrate; you will have a special license written out the moment we enter the church."

Elizabeth glanced back at Mr. Darcy, expecting him to say something, anything. After all, he was being forced to marry a savage from Hertfordshire! Could he not attempt to bribe them, break away from them? Seeing her glance, he stepped closer to her.

"Miss Bennet, I, too, would like it if my sister and extended family could be here today, but there is no help for it. However, that does not preclude us from having a ball in a few weeks to celebrate our nuptials and inviting all our friends and family then. I am sorry that your father will not be able to give you away; I know how close the both of you are."

Elizabeth glared at him, but before she could formulate an answer, they arrived at the church. As they stepped inside the cool, stone building, Miss Bennet found herself growing very numb. She felt as if she were walking through a fog; her mind, clearly overwrought, chose to protect itself by weakening her awareness of the proceedings.

The completed version of this story can be found on "**pride and prejudice fanfiction. weebly. com**" No login required.


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